Nature was Dick’s happy place even as he was growing up. It was where he discovered creatures of all sorts and then learned countless related facts, remembering them astonishingly well over the years! Consequently, his grandchildren at a very young age identified robins, mallard ducks, eagles and various insects. Peg finally learned to be more specific than calling out “Bird!” as they hiked. He always had time to explore and everyone who came along soon marveled at the wonders of God’s creation too. Noticing cloud formations, capturing summer fireflies, noting the sound of trees swaying, spying various unique rocks and marveling at the night sky. We all appreciate these wonders more because Dick taught us to notice them.
He was a man who quietly found ways to encourage others. He was more content to work hard behind the scenes, whether it was a church-building project, a home or cottage improvement job, or the annual Operation Christmas Child collection week. He was quick to help and engage his younger friends or the elderly, always doing so with respect and gentleness.
Dick’s work ethic was extraordinary and persisted all his life. Putting up the Christmas lights the day he fell was not an irritation, but a “fun job” to him. Cutting hundreds of notebooks bound for the OCC shoeboxes was a joy for him. He found fixing broken objects not an annoyance, but a welcome challenge. His workbench is often scattered with broken dollhouse furniture or toys that our grandchildren or young friends would place in the queue waiting to be mended.
Many family and friends were the recipients of his tender generous heart and silent kind deeds. He was content not to be recognized and found joy in quietly, humbly coming alongside others in many ways. Dick’s patience and peaceful demeanor have become a family treasure and his lifelong calm steadiness was a gift to us all in times of crisis.
He grew up in Eaton Rapids, the firstborn of Richard and Kay. He is survived by three siblings; Jack, Sue and Maureen.
He graduated from Adrian College and spent his career as a silicone chemist, doing some related work traveling. He met his lifelong love, Peg in college and they married in 1968. They raised two wonderful children; Mike and Jennie who in turn had wonderful kids! With Mike’s marriage to Anna, three grandchildren came into the family; Kyle (Katie), Cassie and Taylor (Austin). Mike’s marriage to Alicia gifted them with Hallie. Jennie and Dave gave this devoted grandpa two more grandchildren; Zach and Grace. Recently, Zach married Maddie making Dick a blessed grandpa of seven. In recent years Kyle and Katie made him an official great-grandpa with the birth of Rylie and Eve!
Dick loved the Lord unwaveringly and used his gifts of servanthood and encouragement well, investing his life wholeheartedly in his children and grandchildren and being the INCREDIBLE husband he was to Peg. Praying together for family and friends was a high commitment and he leaves a legacy of rock-steady faith and unconditional love for us to follow. His desire was to “press on to the end of the race” with eyes fixed on Jesus focusing on what “truly mattered to God” and he certainly did!
*All obituaries are submitted by family and friends of the deceased.
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